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May 25, 2015

The graffiti on an Egyptian carving at the 3,500-year-old Luxor Temple reads: "Ding Jinhao was here."

The parents of a Chinese teenager are not happy. Their 15-year-old
son was found to have defaced an Egyptian artifact at the
3,500-year-old Luxor Temple.

What's more, he did it using the
most mundane of markings: Using what appears to be chalk, the boy wrote:
"Ding Jinhao was here."

According to CNN, another Chinese tourist saw the markings and uploaded a picture to the Chinese social network Weibo.

"The saddest moment in Egypt," the tourist wrote. "I'm so embarrassed that I
want to hide myself. I said to the Egyptian tour guide, 'I'm really
sorry.' "

Within days, Internet sleuths traced the scrawl to Ding in Nanjing.

China Daily reported yesterday that when his parents got wind of the vandalism, they issued an apology.

"We want to apologize to the Egyptian people and to people who have paid
attention to this case across China," the boy's mother is quoted as
saying.

China Daily says
high-profile cases like this have triggered a new "tourism law" in
China. It is scheduled to take effect in October and "will force some
Chinese tourists to behave properly at tourist sites"

"Leaving graffiti is common among Chinese tourists, damaging historic sites and demonstrating poor education and behavior.

"Yasser Hamed, the Egyptian tourist guide who led the tour on which Shen Yuwen
discovered Ding's graffiti, said the boy may have noticed similar
graffiti left as long ago as the early 20th century on the temple's
walls, and thus may not have realized the gravity of his act.

"The tourist guide who led Ding's group should also be blamed for not stopping such graffiti, according to Hamed."

May 20, 2015

If the recent series of Captain America: Civil Warcasting announcements and leaked promotional art
didn’t make it clear, Marvel’s next big ensemble feature is beginning
production right now. Shooting is underway for the first chapter of
Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Atlanta, Georgia – and the
shoot will extend to locations in Germany, Puerto Rico and Iceland.

The timing capitalizes on the buzz of Marvel Studios’ largest project to date, Avengers: Age of Ultron, which finally released in North American theaters this weekend, setting the stage for Civil War (with July’s Ant-Man bridging the gap). That’s an important bridge film, since Ant-Man himself (Paul Rudd) is officially confirmed to return in Civil War alongside a lengthy cast list of familiar characters, including one we’ve not seen on screen since 2008…

From The Web

NOTE: The following contains SPOILERS for Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Avengers: Age of Ultron concludes (read our ending explained post here!)
with the team’s roster undergoing some changes. Hawkeye is living with
his family, Thor returns to Asgard, Tony Stark “taps out” of field duty,
and Hulk runs away. Filling in for them are Scarlet Witch, Vision, War
Machine and Falcon – all of whom return for Captain America: Civil War.

New
cast members Daniel Bruhl and Martin Freeman are also listed but their
roles remain under Marvel’s veil of secrecy, even if we know the former
is playing Baron Zemo and the latter, potentially Everett Ross. The most interesting casting addition however, the one big surprise of the group is the return of The Incredible Hulk’s
General Ross, played again by William Hurt – a welcome addition that
helps solidifies that Hulk movie in the MCU. Does that mean Bruce Banner
(Mark Ruffalo) could show up in some small capacity even if not listed?

William Hurt (“A History of Violence,” Marvel’s “The Incredible Hulk”) as General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross

Martin Freeman (“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies”).

Notable Absences

While
the cast list is as impressive as it is exciting, there are still some
names lacking, some we know will be in the film as well. Peter Parker/Spider-Man has yet to be cast but the character will undoubtedly be introduced in Civil War, even if Marvel Studios hasn’t come out and said it yet. We also wouldn’t be surprised if Evangeline Lilly’s character from Ant-Man
shows up, given her relationship with Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang (and
hopeful fan theories that she becomes the MCU’s version of Wasp – a
founding member of the Avengers in the comics).

The other big question we have is whether or not Marvel TV characters will come into play since ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. may be rounding out its third season by the time Civil War hits theaters – and, on top of it, AoS has a spinoff in the works
which will likely be airing by then. Fans are still waiting to see
Clark Gregg’s Phil Coulson make his return to the big screen, and the
story of Civil War seems like it might be time to bridge that gap and for the Avengers to realize he’s still alive.

The
lack of Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson)
seems to suggest this first official casting press release avoiding the
topic of S.H.I.E.L.D. all-together. That could be intentional.

Of course, there are also other key Marvel heroes who will have been introduced on Marvel’s Netflix programming by the time Civil War
rolls around, including Daredevil, Luke Cage and Jessica Jones –
potentially Iron Fist too. These characters may be future Avengers, so
cameos in Civil War are not out of the question.

Official Captain America: Civil War Synopsis

“Captain
America: Civil War” picks up where “Avengers: Age of Ultron” left off,
as Steve Rogers leads the new team of Avengers in their continued
efforts to safeguard humanity. After another international incident
involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure
mounts to install a system of accountability and a governing body to
determine when to enlist the services of the team. The new status quo
fractures the Avengers while they try to protect the world from a new
and nefarious villain.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron is now in theaters, followed by Ant-Man on July 17 2015, Captain America: Civil War on May 6 2016, Doctor Strange on November 4 2016, Guardians of the Galaxy 2 on May 5 2017, Spider-Man on July 28, 2017, Thor: Ragnarok on November 3 2017, Avengers: Infinity War – Part 1 on May 4 2018, Black Panther on July 6 2018, Captain Marvel on November 2 2018, Avengers: Infinity War – Part 2 on May 3 2019 and Inhumans on July 12, 2019.

May 18, 2015

Tyson Beckford Treats Mariah Carey to the Lap Dance of a Lifetime

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Mariah Carey is working and playing hard in Las Vegas. During a break from her concert residency at Caesars Palace, the singer let loose at a Chippendales show
starring Tyson Beckford. It wasn't your typical show with a star in the
audience, though — at one point, Tyson escorted Mariah to the stage and
gave her a performance she'll never forget. Mariah was sure to show her
appreciation, tucking some cash into his pants. She later posted a
photo of the experience on Instagram, writing, "Again, I've no idea how I
got here!!" Watch it all go down in the video above, then check out
more hot stars with the right stuff for stripping.

May 17, 2015

Promise
Tamang Phan as she looks before she transforms into her favorite Disney
princesses. See the YouTube beauty vlogger's best Disney makeovers!
Credit: courtesy of Promise Tamang

Fairy dust in a makeup palette!

If you think you love Disney, move aside because you're not nearly as big of a fan as Promise Tamang Phan.
The Nepal-based YouTube makeup artist loves herself some House of
Mouse—so much so that she's made herself up to look like more than 20 of
her cartoon favorites!

With expert makeup application, Phan, known as dope2111 on YouTube, has transformed into everyone from Frozen's Queen Elsa to nearly every character from Mulan (boys included!). Scroll down to see her five best Mickey-approved makeovers.

Disney's lady of the moment—nearly two years running! With
porcelain-hued foundation, raspberry gloss, lavender shadows, and, yes,
the platinum braid, Phan transformed into the Snow Queen.

"Elsa's probably my favorite Disney character that I created," Phan
told Us Weekly—and not just because of the dewy makeup. "The wintry set
was so much fun to make! I also enjoyed putting her costume together;
the sequin corset took me almost three hours to make."

More than 3 million people watched Phan's video tutorial
on how to doll up as Disney's first cartoon princess (which features an
appearance from her pet hedgehog, Poki). Bonus reason to love this one:
She also created Snow: Poison Apple Edition, complete with a web of
scars on her face.

With her chameleon sidekick in hand, Promise Tamang Phan works pink cheeks and freckles at Tangled's Rapunzel.
Credit: courtesy of Promise Tamang

Pets included! Phan not only applied retro-lined eyes, Barbie-pink
cheeks, and freckles to become Rapunzel, she also created her little
chameleon sidekick, too. The Disney super-fan told Us that her go-to
makeup brands for these tutorials are NYX Cosmetics, Too Faced, and Anastasia Beverly Hills (for brows to match each princess).

To look the part of the stunner, Phan had to rock tanned skin, bold
brows, and the perfect cat-eye. "To get a good cat-eye, you need a good
liner," the makeup artist told Us, who suggests using a pen-type liner
for the most control.

"Start by applying the liner at the inner corner of your eye and
slowly trace the line of your lid to the outer corner," she explained.
"Once you hit the outer corner, do a simple flick. To get it just so,
outline your line first, then go back and fill it in."

Transforming into Mulan just wasn't enough—she
also became Mulan's mom, grandmother, and love interest, Shang, too.
"Boy characters are more challenging, since I have to make my features
more 'manly,'" she admitted. "I want to make sure they look as natural
on me as the female characters."

Next up will be Cinderella! To see all of Phan's Disney transformations, check out her YouTube channel here.

There won’t be a Janet Jackson record released this summer through Atlantic Records.

That’s news on Monday because of an article posted by Hip Hop Vibe last week which claimed
Jackson was slated to release a new record on July 10. The news was
based on an uncredited photo of upcoming releases the site assumed to be
an Atlantic Records calendar (because the other artists listed
– iLoveMakonnen, Waka Flocka Flame, Meek Mill and more – are part of the
Atlantic roster). But as an Atlantic Records representative confirmed
to EW (as well as other sites such asStereogumFactJackson will not release an album on Atlantic Records this summer.

They are now facing a major challenge from their increasingly well-traveled Chinese counterparts.

Not
only are the Chinese bemoaning their rudeness at home and abroad, the
government has responded with new rules that took effect this week,
aimed at keeping loutish travelers in check.

And in a major
innovation, the government has named four tourists to a new blacklist,
which could affect their credit ratings and freedom to travel for years.

There was considerable competition in the airborne category.

Travelers
Wang Sheng and Zhang Yan earned special recognition for their
performance on a Bangkok-to-China flight last December. When they did
not immediately get the seats they wanted, they threw hot instant noodles at a stewardess and threatened to blow up the plane. The pilot then made a U-turn and headed back to Bangkok, where police detained the pair.

Last
year, Chinese tourists took 109 million trips overseas, 20 percent more
than in 2013. Many host nations may be inclined to overlook misbehaving
Chinese tourists because China now contributes more money to the global
tourism industry than any other nation.

Chinese characters that read "Ding Jinhao was here" are seen
on the torso of figure on the wall of a 2,500-year-old temple in Luxor,
Egypt, in 2013. A 15-year-old Chinese boy scratched the characters onto
the wall of the ancient site.

China Stringer Network/Reuters/Landov

hide caption

itoggle caption

China Stringer Network/Reuters/Landov

The problem of what Chinese officials call "uncivilized tourists"
has become "a major issue in our oversight of the tourism industry,"
says Li Zhongguang, a researcher at an arm of the China National Tourism
Administration.

"Our government has been forced to respond to it."

About
two dozen government departments were involved in drafting the new
rules, Li says, including the ruling Communist Party's "Civilization
Office," which is in charge of ideological affairs.

Li adds
that China has had laws on the books for nearly two decades banning bad
tourist behavior, and encouraging its opposite, but he says they haven't
had the desired effect.

Some
Chinese citizens have questioned whether the new rules are too harsh,
or infringe on civil liberties, such as privacy and the right to travel.
Li says the concerns are overblown, and the rules will affect very few
people.

"Some media have misread these rules as being tougher
than they really are, like reporting that folks won't be able to pick
their noses in public," he says. "These rules are really are only meant
to curb the worst excesses."

Experienced Beijing-based tour operator Chuck Liu has taken
tourists to many countries. He welcomes the new rules. He thinks they'll
help him to help tourists avoid the most common forms of bad behavior,
such as cutting in line, littering, smoking and talking loudly where
they're not allowed.

"As adults, they completely understand the
principles involved," Liu says of his customers. "It's just a matter of
changing their ingrained habits."

Not everyone gets it, though.

"Some
of them think nothing of it. They say 'never mind, it doesn't matter.'
But I tell them, 'this is the law in the U.S. We're not in China
anymore.'"

Liu remembers bringing a group to Hawaii during the
Mid-Autumn Festival, a holiday celebrated by ethnic Chinese. In their
luggage, the tour group members carried the traditional treat eaten
during this holiday: mooncakes.

Liu
says that when customs officers discovered the cakes, they said they'd
have to confiscate them. And if it happened again, they could be barred
from entering the U.S. But that's not where the story ends.

"While
I was communicating with the customs officers, my group proceeded to
eat all of the moon cakes," Liu says. "When the officers saw this, they
were at first embarrassed. But then they got angry ... when they
realized that the tourists had just eaten all the evidence.

May 16, 2015

Those people we know who seem to be the happiest among us are not
perfect—not even in their own happiness. No one wears a grin 24-7, after
all.

Still, just as success is the byproduct of adopting the commonly
shared habits of successful people and avoiding the counterproductive
habits of the unsuccessful, so happiness is usually what very naturally
happens when we do what happy people do and avoid the behaviors and
attitudes of the unhappy.

Certainly not everything happy people do is relevant to their
happiness, though. And certainly not everything unhappy people do is a
contributing factor to their unhappiness. But learning the differences
between the two can still be highly instructive at pointing us down the
right path.

This, then, is a post that focuses on the behaviors happy people tend
to avoid, the thoughts they almost never harbor, and the attitudes and
beliefs that they rarely sustain.

Learning the pitfalls to happiness, after all, can prove extremely useful to your own pursuit of it.

What the Happiest People in the World Almost Never Do

1. Happy People Almost Never Whine

Everyone complains from time to time: Traffic jams, tax hikes,
getting overlooked for an expected promotion, discovering you’re out of
milk just after pouring a bowl of Cheerios.

But when complaining becomes a chronic way of life, your happiness
suffers. How could it be otherwise? To whine, moan and complain about
everything is, by definition, the art of focusing your attention on the
unhappy parts of living.

Keep in mind that happy people have plenty to complain about—they
just tend to make molehills of mountains rather than mountains of small
things as they focus on what’s good and praiseworthy.

2. Happy People Almost Never Compare Themselves to Others

Comparisons serve no one. Happy people have role models and people whose lives inspire them like most people do.

But that’s where it stops. They recognize that we are all
multifaceted people who live vastly different lives with unique personal
histories and are therefore not truly comparable.

They also recognize the futility of birds wishing they were fish or
giraffes wishing they were kittens or people wishing they were perfect.
Instead, they celebrate their own uniqueness and have a mix of
compassion, acceptance and humor for their particular set of goofy,
mismatched and idiosyncratic parts.

3. Happy People Almost Never Let Fear Stop Them

That’s certainly not to say that happy people are fearless. They feel what everyone else feels to one degree or another.

They simply refuse to allow their fears the power to dictate their
lives. They take massive action toward their goals despite their fears
and insecurities.

In other words, they feel their feelings but choose their behavior.

4. Happy People Almost Never Take Themselves Too Seriously

Life is funny. So are we humanoid types! Yeah, sure, so you have a
college degree with a lofty title and a respected reputation. You’re
important and prestigious and uber-cool. So what! Learn to laugh and
laugh regularly at your own missteps, goof-ups and puffed-up sense of
self-importance.

Why would we? Are we so exalted that another human has no right
acting the part of an imperfect human being around us? Just decide once
and for all to simply get over yourself long enough to enjoy life and
stop making the universe all about you!

5. Happy People Almost Never Hold Grudges

When people in our lives consistently behave so atrociously that
letting bygones be bygones is just not an option, happy people tend to
let go.

They don’t hug porcupines, put their hands in fire, or allow
themselves repeated emotional slaps to their dignity and self-respect
either. They do what can be done to address the problem, for sure. But
then they leave the unscrupulous to their own devices, to God, the law,
or karma without allowing it to fester inside for too long. They readily
forgive and let go.

Holding on to grudges, offense or hate is emotional constipation of
the worst kind, after all. And happy people tend to avoid such emotional
discomforts.

6. Happy People Almost Never Hide from the Truth

Happy people are not self-delusional. They accept reality for what it
is. The Truth doesn’t scare them, even if it means they change their
mind, position, or ideology.

They are therefore more open to honest feedback because they can
handle the criticism (their happiness does not come from others’
acceptance of them) and they actually seek input that can help them improve and grow.

7. Happy People Almost Never Isolate themselves

We know that the happiest people have friends. They interact with
others. They belong to communities of people, to clubs or churches or
committees or close-knit neighborhoods. Certainly they have quiet time
and even enjoy their alone time. That’s not what I’m talking about.

There are unhappy extroverts as there are happy introverts. But happy
people of either variety almost never lock their doors, pull the blinds
and stay away from others for extended periods of time.

Isolation does not lend itself to happiness, even if it feels comfortable to those who are socially uncomfortable.

8. Happy People Almost Never Take Things for Granted

It’s easy to get accustomed to things that happen regularly. We
therefore tend to take so much of life for granted, and even begin to
expect them. “Thank you for doing the dishes? Why would I thank you for
that?! It’s your job, for crying out loud!”

Happy people seldom think that way. They tend to feel gratitude for
the sunrises and little kindnesses and the good people in their lives.

They say thank you, not by habit—even if it may seem that way to the
ingrate—but because they truly feel grateful for dishes washed, garbage
taken out, children’s smiles and sunrises.

9. Happy People Almost Never Ignore Character

Personality can make people interesting, fun to be around, charismatic. Character makes them good, decent, kind and loving.

Happy people rarely confuse one with the other. Their own character
is utmost in their own lives as well. Who they are is much more than
personality, fashion or image. And who they are on the inside matters
greatly to them.

10. Happy People Almost Never Live Sedentary Lives

The happiest of people spend time outdoors. They go places and do
things. Don’t get me wrong, not all happy people would enjoy everything
other happy people enjoy. Some may find themselves on the ski slopes or
climbing a mountain while other happy people prefer people watching at
the mall or reading a thought-provoking book.

But they do get out—to parks, walks around the block, to museums, to
stadiums or restaurants or the beach. They play guitar or soccer or work
on cars or build models or breed dogs.

The point is that they don’t sit around watching a lot of TV. They
actively and enthusiastically live life to its fullest—whatever “full”
means to each happy individual.

11. Happy People Almost Never Do Anything to Excess (for too long)

Happy people seldom sleep more than they need to, or eat more than
they should. They don’t fly into rages or cuss people out or flip people
off. They seldom lose control of their emotions or have affairs or even
exercise to the point of not having enough time to spend with their
children.

In short, happy people have well-rounded lives. They don’t neglect
one part of their lives to dedicate everything to another part.

There are seasons of being off-balance, of course. When work projects
are due or graduation is pending or a relationship needs mending, they
may focus more on those parts at those times. But in general, they are
balanced and happy because of it.

Final Thoughts

No one perfectly avoids anything on this list. We all have
moments when self-control is lost, or too much TV is watched, or we let
fear creep in and slow us down. We all have lapses and make mistakes and
fall down and get our hearts or our character a bit battered and
bruised.

But happy people do well at minimizing such things. They tend to
avoid them, seldom engage in them and usually rise to the occasion most
of the time. As such, they tend to be happier than those who don’t.

The key to living a happy life, then, is, in part, learning the art
of avoiding those things happy people avoid, at least most of the time
and on good days.

Challenge:Choose one of the items on the list of behaviors above and go to work minimizing it.

Everyone's going to see Avengers: Age of Ultron
this weekend -- we think it's the law or something -- and although this
sequel's inevitably massive grosses will definitely be partly driven by
the prospect of witnessing the effects-assisted spectacle of a
superhero team battling an evil robot, the outstanding ensemble cast
definitely doesn't hurt. In honor of all these stars reuniting (with
some terrific additions) to fight for the future of the human race,
we've decided to dedicate this week's list to some lesser-seen critical
highlights from their respective filmographies. Avengers assemble, Total
Recall style!

Before they weaved blockbuster Marvel magic with Iron Man 3, Downey and writer-director Shane Black worked together on 2005's Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang,
a skewed noir comedy starring Downey as a two-bit hood who repeatedly
breaks the fourth wall as he stumbles from one circumstance
(accidentally landing a movie role) to another (discovering a murder
mystery) while trading quips with the private investigator (Val Kilmer)
who's helping him research his character. Kiss Kiss saw only
limited release during its brief theatrical run, but it earned high
praise from the likes of the Washington Post's Desson Howe, who called
it "the first movie since 1994's Pulp Fiction not just to understand movie violence as a pop cultural form... but to play it like a virtuoso violinist."

The reality of set life for actors is obviously very different from
what we end up seeing on the screen, but in terms of sheer
gee-whizitude, Chris Hemsworth is basically living out an eight-year-old
boy's dream vision of a sweet Hollywood career. Not only does the guy
get to wield Thor's magic hammer while zooming around the universe
pummeling villains, he got to spend his Marvel vacation playing
real-life world-famous race car driver James Hunt, whose rivalry with
fellow racer Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) forms the spine of Ron Howard's Rush.
Even better than the chance to speed around a racetrack, the movie also
offered Hemsworth an opportunity to flex a different type of acting
muscle, and he proved himself more than up to the challenge; as Andrew
O'Hehir wrote for Salon, "I've seen Brühl in several German-language
films, and I'm not surprised that he's perfect as the monomaniacal
Lauda, but Hemsworth is the revelation here."

Ruffalo found relatively steady work during his early years in Hollywood, but mainly via roles in films like The Dentist and a couple of Mirror, Mirror
sequels. It wasn't until he developed a working relationship with
writer-director Kenneth Lonergan that things started to pick up -- most
notably with 2000's You Can Count on Me, a small-scale,
character-driven drama, written and directed by Lonergan, that
eventually served as a critically lauded calling card for himself,
Ruffalo, and Laura Linney (who earned a Best Actress Oscar nomination
for her work). Ruffalo doesn't get to smash in this story about a
ne'er-do-well brother whose sudden reappearance proves a mixed blessing
for his sister and nephew, but his performance is infused with the same
quiet soulfulness that Joss Whedon has relied on to help ground some of
the Avengers movies' more meaningful moments. Observed Michael
Dequina for the Movie Report, "Linney and Ruffalo's rapport is warm but
raw and unsentimental, capturing the unconditional tough love dynamic
that can only exist between siblings."

Evans has publicly chafed under the all-consuming level of commitment
required by blockbuster superhero franchises, and lamented that the type
of brave, individualistic filmmaking that used to be subsidized by our
fondness for popcorn epics is far more difficult to get off the ground
in modern Hollywood. In a sense, he was proven right by his experiences
with Bong Joon-ho's Snowpiercer, which found itself in the
middle of a distribution battle between Bong and the Weinstein Company
after the studio mandated cuts and edits to the American version that
the director wasn't willing to make. Ultimately, the movie -- which
blends thrilling set pieces and sociopolitical themes against an
eye-popping sci-fi backdrop and freewheeling direction that left many
viewers' heads spinning -- triumphed over its limited release by racking
up more than $85 million and a whole bunch of rapturous reviews. For
Evans, whose character makes a long march for social justice across a
futuristic train shielding the remnants of the human race from a long
post-apocalyptic winter, it offered the chance to play a different kind
of action hero while reaping critical praise from the likes of
Film.com's James Rocchi, who wrote, "If the film has one element that
never flags or falters, it's Evans."

If hostile aliens came to Earth and wanted to lure our planet's men to
their doom, they could do a lot worse than sending a specimen that looks
like Scarlett Johansson to drive around in a van and go cruising for
fresh meat. Case in point: Jonathan Glazer's Under the Skin,
starring Johansson as an alien skulking around Scotland and gobbling up
single dudes' souls -- a premise that could have tumbled to Species-level
depths in the wrong hands, but in this case, holds together as a
hypnotically creepy exercise in existential dread. "Johansson is
phenomenal in every sense of the word," enthused Peter Travers for
Rolling Stone. "She joins Glazer in creating a brave experiment in
cinema that richly rewards the demands it makes. The result is an
amazement, a film of beauty and shocking gravity."

A lavishly mounted period piece from director James Gray, 2014's The Immigrant
presents a horror-show picture of life in 1920s America for a pair of
Polish sisters (Marion Cotillard and Angela Sarafyan) who are separated
at Ellis Island when one is discovered to be carrying an illness. Alone
and desperate to be reunited with her sister, Cotillard's character
crosses paths with a smooth-talking benefactor (Joaquin Phoenix) who
takes her in so he can use her as one of the attractions in his
burlesque show, which functions as a front for a prostitution ring.
Trapped and miserable, she finds herself in a grueling downward spiral
whose only hope for reversal lies in a good-hearted magician (Jeremy
Renner) who just happens to be Phoenix's brother. "The film is an
achievement," argued Wesley Morris for Grantland. "Its complex reckoning
of moral decency deserves a bigger audience."

While far from his first film role, Samuel L. Jackson's work in Spike Lee's Jungle Fever
could arguably be called his breakout appearance; in fact, so
compelling was his portrayal of Gator, the drug-addicted brother of Fever
protagonist Flipper Purify (Wesley Snipes), that Cannes created the
Best Supporting Performance Award award just to honor him. It's all the
more remarkable considering that Jackson had only just gotten out of
rehab himself -- as he's told the story, he exited treatment mere weeks
before the cameras rolled on Jungle Fever, adding an additional
touch of realism to a tale of interracial romance that already
fearlessly latched on to timely and too-rarely explored themes. "The
result, for the most part," observed the Washington Post's Desson
Thomson, "is a provocative, quintessentially Spike symphony."

It takes chutzpah to play a real-life celebrity in a film, especially
one as beloved -- and as complex -- as John Lennon, so even if he'd
muffed the execution, we'd have to give Aaron Taylor-Johnson points for
bravery with Nowhere Boy, director Sam Taylor-Wood's biopic
(filmed from a script by Matt Greenhalgh) about Lennon's turbulent
teenage years and musical beginnings. Happily, he was up to the task,
delivering a performance that presented the young Lennon as a troubled
yet talented kid rather than rock 'n' roll royalty in the making. As
Christopher Lloyd put it for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, "It succeeds
as a moving story of a boy, expressively played by Aaron Johnson, whose
life would have been interesting enough to justify a movie about it even
if he'd never gone on to be one of the Beatles."

Plenty of future stars have humble beginnings tucked away at the front
end of their résumés, but few can boast the rocket-like arc of Elizabeth
Olsen, whose filmography soars from a cameo appearance in 1994's How the West Was Fun
-- one of the countless direct-to-video efforts filmed by her older
twin sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley -- to her wildly acclaimed starring
role in 2011's Martha Marcy May Marlene. Before she filmed this
haunting drama about a young woman's struggles to cope with her past
after escaping from a cult, many people didn't even know the Olsen twins
had a sister; after its critically heralded arrival, she was a bona
fide star. "The story hinges on a believable lead performance, and Olsen
is mesmerizing in her first film role," enthused USA Today's Claudia
Puig. "She starts out wide-eyed and vulnerable and eventually assumes
the look of a captive, communicating raw paranoia with subtle gestures."

Before E.L. James built a publishing empire out of Anastasia and
Christian's sadomasochistic exploits, the film world had its own
celebrity dominating/submissive couple: E. Edward Grey (James Spader)
and Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal), whose decidedly unorthodox love
affair is chronicled in Steven Shainberg's 2002 film Secretary. Expanded and adapted from author Mary Gaitskill's short story Bad Behavior,
it earned a small mountain of acclaim (including a Sundance Special
Jury Prize) while raising countless eyebrows with its depiction of a
relationship that, loosely speaking, begins with the new confidence
awakened in an emotionally troubled young woman after her boss gives her
a spanking in the office. But under the surface, wrote Karen Montgomery
for Cinerina, "It's an interesting exploration of people finding and
accepting themselves and then finding the puzzle piece that fits this
new shape."

When you can marry your first cousin in front of the entire world and
still be awesome enough to have an entire era named after you, you
deserve a solid biopic -- and that's what Queen Victoria got with 2009'sThe Young Victoria, starring Emily Blunt as the young monarch
and Rupert Friend as her eventual king. As the reform-minded Prime
Minister (and one of the Queen's earliest close advisers) Lord
Melbourne, Bettany took a supporting role among a solid cast that
included Miranda Richardson and Jim Broadbent, helping Victoria earn the
praise of critics like Christopher Kelly of the Dallas Morning News,
who wrote, "If The Young Victoria never transcends its fussy trappings -- it's still a familiar costume drama -- it remains brisk and intelligent."

Though he's often appeared as part of ensemble casts, Cheadle has
occasionally had the opportunity to take the spotlight for himself -- as
with 2007's Talk to Me, which dramatized the life of radio
host and Emmy-winning television personality Petey Greene. Though his
fame was mostly restricted to the Washington, D.C. area, Greene was an
influential figure for many years, using his gift of gab and
inspirational journey from prison to the airwaves as the building blocks
for a career that earned him acclaim, a visit to the White House (where
he famously joked he stole a spoon), and the admiration of followers
such as Howard Stern. It wasn't a huge hit, and members of Greene's
family criticized its historical inaccuracies, but as far as most
critics were concerned, Talk to Me was well worth watching. As
Neil Smith wrote for Total Film, "If the picture doesn't ultimately live
up to the raw vitality of Cheadle's performance, it remains an
uplifting snapshot that broadcasts its message with zero distortion.
Tune in and you won't be turned off." - Rotten Tomatoes

May 15, 2015

Delta was an amazing host for this year’s Freddie awards – they truly
were. The event, at the Delta flight museum that I reviewed HERE was just about perfect. Also, just like Delta food on-board, was VERY good.
There is not anything but heaps of praise that can be bestowed on Delta
for all they and the other partners did to make this one of the most
memorable Freddie awards ceremonies EVER!. There was just one teeny, tiny, problem…Delta was not even nominated for any awards by voters

Yep, Delta not win anything at all because they were not even
nominated to win anything and that is kinda a pre-requisite before you
can win. So why did this happen? It really is not that hard to see why
and it is all about loyalty rewards (or the lack thereof). Let’s make it
simple and look why.

The end of stopovers on award tickets. This is the most crushing change Delta has EVER made to their award program. If you do not agree, you do not understand SkyMiles at all.
Stopover’s is what for years and years made SkyMiles, to those who know
and value the program, a jewel worth treasuring and keeping. It
allowed, not just a stop along the way to explore some amazing part of
the planet, but it made hard to find awards possible all at LEVEL 1
awards in coach or business class (or a mix as well). Stopovers on
awards was the “oil” that made the SkyMiles engine work without
overheating and dying.

Hiding the award charts. Delta still uses the 5 level award charts.
They are still CLEARLY there as they use them when coding the
redemption level of any award. Who in their right mind would vote for
SkyMiles to win anything when you are hiding the award charts. This must
be fixed.

Charting 2 or 3x what an award should be.
Thanks to the end of stopovers and the end of mixed award with partners
you can end up paying for 2 or even 3 one way award tickets to get from
one place to another. What other frequent flyer program over charges
you for one single trip 2 or 3 times what it should cost you? This must
be fixed and bringing back stopovers would take care of much of this
issue.

Revenue based earnings. Delta is NOT going to change
this one. They feel this is “innovative” (unlike the program of the
year AA that did innovate and pays MORE miles for big spenders). That
program IS innovating, that is, rewarding those who fly a little and
really rewarding those who spend the most. Those who say it is just a
matter of time before AA does what Delta did is living in a fantasy
world. AA is #Winning and many are switching to fly them for just this
reason.

10k coach seats don’t cut it. Delta has twice now come up with el’Cheap’O
10k SkyMiles limited award tickets. Who cares! Delta seems to think
that lots of coach level redemptions shows the new things they are doing
are working and that “the numbers don’t lie”. But you know what won at
the Freddie’s? KLM with their promotion that offered coach AND business
class seats at up to 50% off. Now this is hard for Delta to do since
they hide their 5 level award charts. You maybe see the point I hope.

I could really do this all day long like charging more SkyMiles if not 21+ day bookings, removal of more award space for medallions and Delta AMEX card
holders, cutting Platinum and Gold upgrade shots from JFK to LAX &
SFO, SDC changes, E-Class non-medallion upgrades and so on. There is so
much busted with SkyMiles that in a good way there is just about no
where to go but UP from here. So we at least have that. Delta needs to
fix what they broke and really innovate for a change.

If Delta did not have a frequent flyer program at all, they would,
hands down, have the best airline in the USA! No questions asked. I
think most would agree with me here. But they do have an awards program.
They do, on paper at least, say they want to reward those who spend the
most with Delta. It is time they started to show that by the slogan “Keep Climbing“! – René

May 14, 2015

A brief recap if you’re just tuning into the Janet Jackson comeback
gate: Last week the fan forum janet.club combusted in flames when a fake
screenshot from Atlantic Records revealed that Jackson would be
dropping an untitled album on July 7th. The real elusive chanteuse has
remained tight-lipped on rumors that she’ll be slaying our summer with a
follow up to 2008’s Discipline, but oops! We’re reporting exclusively
that Spotify has listed Janet Jackson’s upcoming tour date at the
Comerica Theatre on July 28th in Phoenix, Arizona.

When SWAGGER contacted Comerica Theatre they attempted to stay
tight-lipped about Jackson’s concert. “Janet was scheduled to perform
here on July 28th,” a representative told me before putting me on hold.
Is it cancelled, I asked? “For right now, I’d suggest you keep calling
back,” she indicated. So Janet did schedule something for July 28th? How
interesting it is that the show was scheduled but three weeks after an
alleged album was slated to drop? And why is it still showing up in the
Comerica system? #Sus

Other ticket sites like SeatGeek have populated the same July 28thth
listing. “It’s hard to track where the listing initiated within our
local markets,” a representative told me. When pressed on whether the
show could be a fluke, he added “It’s probably a legitimate show.” But
to be safe, SeatGeek has taken down the date until more information
leaks in.

So will Janet give the nation some new rhythm in July? Probably. But
more importantly, will goof-ups like the Spotify announcement ruin most
artists’ abilities to surprise us with new work?

In November, Amazon beat Beyonce to the punch by announcing a
pre-order to her four-disc compilation album. After that, video
streaming site VEVO teased the visuals to the Nicki Minaj-assisted remix
to “Flawless”, and ruined the surprise that everyone’s favorite Queen
Bey would team up with everyone’s favorite Queen Barbie. And famously,
Interscope (mistakenly?) released Kendrick Lamar’s album, To Pimp A
Butterfly before its release date, prompting a Cookie Lyons-like tweet
from the Top Dawg CEO that has since been deleted.